The present invention is directed to a plastic garment hanger having means for supporting a clip-holding metal rod and, in particular, to an improved rod coupling construction for plastic garment hangers.
Plastic garment hangers having a body portion which supports a metal rod having slidable clips thereon are well-known in the art. Such garment hangers include a plastic body portion having a centrally located hook for suspending the hanger from a support rod. Such hangers further include two depending legs which support a laterally extending metal rod on which one or more plastic or metal clips are coupled. The clips are used to capture and releaseably hold garments or other articles between the jaws of the clips.
In one prior art construction, the metal rod is fixed in lateral slots formed in the body of the garment hanger during the molding process. The rod is actually inserted in the mold and the legs of the hanger are molded around the rod to make an essentially permanent coupling. In another prior art construction, the rod is inserted in lateral side openings in the hanger legs after molding of the hanger.
An attempt to improve on the construction of a rod receiving garment hanger is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,930 which issued on Jan. 27, 1987. This patent discloses a garment hanger with depending legs each having a rod receiving pocket defined by a curved lower wall and a downwardly depending resilient tongue which locks the rod in the pocket as the tongue presses downwardly on the rod. If the molding tolerances are not correct, the locking tongue in such construction can fail to operate properly to lock the rod in the pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,600 which issued on Oct. 1, 1991 discloses another such improved construction which uses an upstanding resilient tongue and an indent to hold the bar in position. In some cases, the tongue may break during manufacture or use.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved rod coupling construction for garment hangers which overcomes the disadvantages noted above with respect to the prior art while permitting the rod to be inserted after molding of the garment hanger.